In Iran on Saturday, two earthquakes hit within 11 minutes of one another, leaving 250 dead and almost 2,600 wounded. According to the Associated Press, one of the quakes hit northwest of the capitol city of Tehran, while the other was centered northeast of the city of Tabriz.

At least 20 villages were totally leveled, state television reported. Ahmad Reza Shajiei, a senior government official in charge of rescue operations, said more than 5,000 tents have been set up to shelter more than 16,000 homeless. Thousands spent the night outdoors after their villages were leveled and homes damaged in the powerful quakes, which were followed by some 36 aftershocks.

Television video showed people being evacuated on stretchers, while others were treated for broken limbs and concussions. Dozens of families were sleeping on blankets laid out on the ground in parks. Some were crying, and others shivered from the cold in the mountainous region hit by the quake, near the border with Azerbaijan.